1. Martha Nussbaum’s “Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach”
Introduction to Ethical theory, Benjamin Visscher Hole IV
240W8L3

2. Agenda Administrative Issues Clicker Quiz Review and assess Nussbaum
Assess broader issues
Agenda

3. Administrative Issues
Final Examination
Assignment Nine
A mixture of short “choice” questions (e.g., multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, etc.) and short “essay” questions
Study the daily quizzes (and lecture slides)
Study the reading study guides
Apply ethical theories to contemporary moral issues
Assess your learning and performance in this class
Prepare for the final examination

4. Clicker Quiz

5. in a relativist way. in an absolutist way. in a Kantian way.
Nussbaum claims that in cross-cultural communication, inhabitants of different conceptual schemes tend to view their interaction:
in a relativist way.
in an absolutist way.
in a Kantian way.
in teleological way.
in an Aristotelian way.
all of the above.
none of the above.

6. Nussbaum claims that Aristotle saw his theory of the virtues as:
final and complete.
open-ended and revisable.
necessarily relative to his culture.
applicable only to himself.
all of the above.
none of the above.

7. are an essential component of a flourishing life.
According to Nussbaum, Marx claimed that Aristotelian virtues regarding property:
are an essential component of a flourishing life.
are unpleasant, but necessary for society to function.
are responses to defective relations of production.
will be strongly promoted under communism.
all of the above.
none of the above.

8. Review and assess Nussbaum and broader issues in ethical theory
“NON-RELATIVE VIRTUES: AN ARISTOTELIAN APPROACH,” Martha C. Nussbaum
Review and assess Nussbaum and broader issues in ethical theory

9. An Aristotelian Program
A two-stage inquiry
Isolate a sphere of human experience that figures in more or less any human life, in which nearly everyone will have to make some choices about how to act.
Find a correct fuller specification of what it is to act well in that sphere. 9

10. Objection 1
Objection: Even if we settle on a single subject matter (how to behave in a particular sphere of human experience), this does not establish that there is a single correct answer.
Reply: There might be many concrete specifications of the virtues, in connection with local conditions. 10

11. Objection 2
Objection: The allegedly shared human experiences are in fact differently constructed by different cultures.
Reply: This is true, but we can nonetheless identify certain features of our common humanity that are nearly universally shared, including mortality, pain and pleasure, and practical reason. 11

12. Nussbaum’s Spheres
Does grounding the approach in objective spheres of human experience gives virtue ethical theory an acceptable claim to universality?
VIRTUE
SPHERE
1. Courage
Fear of important damages, esp. death.
2. Moderation
Bodily appetites and their pleasures.
3. Justice
Distribution of limited resources.
4. Generosity
Management of one’s personal property where others are concerned.
5. Expansive hospitality
Management of one’s personal property where hospitality is concerned.
6. Greatness of soul
Attitudes and actions with respect to one’s own worth.
7. Mildness of temper
Attitude to slights and damages
8.a. Truthfulness
8.b. Easy grace (contrasted with coarseness, rudeness, insensitivity)
8.c. Nameless , but a kind of friendliness (contrasted with irritability and grumpiness)
“Association and living together and the fellowship of words and actions.”
Truthfulness in speech
Social association of a playful kind
Social association more generally
9. Proper judgment (contrasted with enviousness, spitefulness, etc.)
Attitude to the good and ill fortune of others.
10. The various intellectual virtues, such as perceptiveness, knowledge, etc.
Intellectual life.
11. Practical Wisdom
The planning of one’s life.

13. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree
Grounding the approach in objective spheres of human experience gives virtue ethical theory an acceptable claim to universality
Strongly Agree
Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neutral
Somewhat Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

14. Objection 3
Objection: We can imagine a form of life, perhaps a preferable one, that does not contain these “shared human experiences” such as property ownership.
Reply: All forms of life contain certain boundaries and limits, and will thus require some set of virtues. 14

15. The Ladder of Nature Humans Aspects: Parts Social Animals Operations
Ends:
Individual Survival
Continuance of the Species
Social Animals
Animals
Plants

16. The Ladder of Nature Aspects: Parts Operations Actions Desires Ends:
Individual Survival
Continuance of the Species
Characteristic Pleasure/Characteristic Freedom from Pain
Humans
Social Animals
Animals
Plants

17. The Ladder of Nature Human Beings Social Animals Animals Plants
Aspects:
Parts
Operations
Actions
Emotions/Desires
Ends:
Individual Survival
Continuance of the Species
Characteristic Pleasure/Characteristic Freedom from Pain
The Good Functioning of the Social Group
Social Animals
Animals
Free rider problem, social roles
Plants

18. The Ladder of Nature Human Beings Social Animals Animals Plants
Aspects:
Parts*
Operations*
Actions
Emotions/Desires
Rationality
Ends:
Individual Survival*
Continuance of the Species*
Characteristic Pleasure/Characteristic Freedom from Pain
The Good Functioning of the Social Group
*Not as important due to modern medicine/technology
Human Beings
Social Animals
Animals
Plants

19. Evaluating Human Beings
We can expect “the structure of our ethical evaluations of ourselves to resemble that of a sophisticated social animal with some differences necessitated by our being not only social but also rational.”
(Hursthouse, OVE, 206)

20. Objection 3
Objection: We can imagine a form of life, perhaps a preferable one, that does not contain these “shared human experiences” such as property ownership.
Reply: All forms of life contain certain boundaries and limits, and will thus require some set of virtues. 20

21. Objection 3 Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral
Somewhat Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

22. Broader issues in ethical theory
“NON-RELATIVE VIRTUES: AN ARISTOTELIAN APPROACH,” Martha C. Nussbaum
Broader issues in ethical theory

23. Watson’s Dilemma Revisited
Horn One
An ethical theory grounded in human experience is morally indeterminate
Horn Two
An ethical theory grounded in human experience is circular